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We have been asked to share our experiences/insights with our users and all Professional Notaries Public out there!

Below are some of our favorite tips to date. You can follow our tips on Twitter and LinkedIn as well. Enjoy!

*Have multiple pens in BOTH Blue and Black ink! You never know what the document will require and you don’t want to lose time while the signer(s) look for pens!

*Carry baby wipes or wet naps in your Notary bag to remove the ink from your signers thumb after you get their print. A nice professional gesture!

*Track your Mileage not only to and from your signing appointments, but to the office supply store, document drop off location and escrow offices!! All those miles driven are business miles!!

* Confirm Location, Date and Time of your appointment with signer(s) PLUS make sure that someone else knows where you are and approximate time of completion! #SAFETY Be safe out there!!

*You work HARD for your money!! Make sure that you know your State’s Notarial Act Fee!! Then make sure you track all of your Notarial Acts!! Your income on Notarial Acts is Self Employment Tax Exempt!!

*Print extra forms for signings that you do all the time, But ALSO for the rare cases + the instructions how to use them! That way you are always prepared for not only Acknowledgements and Jurats but for Special Witnesses and Sign by Mark clients!

*Stay cool and ready for the long days on the road! Keep a small cooler with you in your car! Keeps your drinks cold, food on hand and saves you money by not eating out all the time!

*Make a rule for yourself never to have liquid at the signing table. Signers have the nicest intentions when you go to there house or if you are at an escrow office, almost always someone will offer you a drink. Kindly say no – you don’t want to get 3/4 through a signing only to have all your work and original documents ruined by a liquid spill!! It may still happen as the signer themselves may have liquid at the signing table, that is why you always have a 2nd set ready to go, but at least you have reduced the chances 🙂

*Grow your business by not being afraid to ask for referrals! Ask your Dr., D.D.S., Barber/Stylist or anyone you give business too! We all help each other!

*Cold/Flu Season! Keep on your game – Wash your hands often! We shake hands all day long – We share pens – We are in close proximity to our signers. We can’t stop every germ, but we can do our part to keep ourselves and our signers healthy! Add Spraying down your pens with Lysol at the end of each day!

We hope that these few tips help you and your business grow! Look for more tips coming soon!

It is that time of year again! Time to gather all your tax information for 2015 to report earnings to the IRS.

We are asked every year about self employment tax for the professional Notary Public. Here is the link to the IRS webpage and information about self employment tax. We hope this link and information helps every professional Notary file their taxes.

Fees received for services performed as a notary public. If you had no other income subject to SE tax, enter “Exempt—Notary” on Form 1040, line 57. Do not file Schedule SE. However, if you had other earnings of $400 or more subject to SE tax, enter “Exempt—Notary” and the amount of your net profit as a notary public from Schedule C or Schedule C-EZ on the dotted line to the left of Schedule SE, line 3. Subtract that amount from the total of lines 1a, 1b, and 2, and enter the result on line 3. ……”

The partial section above is directly from the IRS.gov webpage. NotaryAssist is not a licensed tax authority. Please seek the advise of a tax professional for further information about self employment taxes and your specific tax needs.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEADING NOTARY SOFTWARE BRAND LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

Orange County, CA, August 21, 2015–LavaTurtle Software, Inc., launched a new and improved website this week for its Notary business management software, NotaryAssist. The Orange County-based software company first developed and introduced a desktop version of NotaryAssist in 2007 after working closely with Notary professionals to decipher their business needs and challenges. Since then, the industry-leading Notary program has evolved into a web-based, intuitive application that can be accessed from any device—laptop, desktop, or Smartphone, MAC or PC.

“We decided it was time to introduce a more advanced, user-friendly version of our website to keep up with our product,” said Sue Hope, Co-Owner and Founder of NotaryAssist. “We are so proud of the success we’ve had and so pleased to serve Notary professionals around the United States with their businesses. I, myself, began my career as a Notary, so I feel uniquely qualified to help other Notaries manage their time and money. I understand their business challenges and needs, and I want to help.”

The Notary accounting tool manages Notary businesses from top to bottom with an advanced, secure web-based program. Its features are built for Notaries to stay organized and tax-time ready, including an accounting feature that addresses the unique tax benefits given only to Notaries. The program allows customers to sync with their Smartphone calendars, auto-calculate mileage, manage appointments, and print reports daily, weekly or monthly. Here are some of the many features:

View and organize business appointments and customer information

Data push to a Smartphone calendar and get turn-by-turn directions

Generate reports (daily, monthly or yearly) and during tax season

Track mileage (odometer-to-odometer or auto-calculate)

Manage expenses and invoices

“The feedback we receive from our customers is motivating and very positive,” said Hope. “We try to keep things personalized, user-friendly and easily accessible, including our customer support. Our customers know they are valued and that we will do everything we can to meet their business needs.”

LavaTurtle Software, Inc., located in Orange County, California, first launched in 2007. The new website is www.NotaryAssist.com. For more information, please contact Sue Hope at (949) 713-3570.